Carmen Dene

Carmen Dene Gallery

Carmen was Anglo-Spanish and born in Liverpool. Carmen has ten brothers and sisters, “rejoicing in names”, as Deputy Editor Marjorie Smith writes, “like Carlos, Alfredo and Maria”. In fact the six brothers are Don, Carlos, Alfredo, Clayton and Ramon; and the four sisters are Deborah, Maria, Dolores and Antonita – Antonita Dias, that is; another ToCo model who looks very much like her. We are indebted to Carmen’s and Antonita’s sister Maria for this family information

Carmen took a course at a “charm school”, followed by a modelling course. She soon made the grade as “one of the most popular and photogenic models in London” and began to carve out a career in films (including Carry on up the Khyber, Virgin of the Secret Service and Some Girls Do), TV and the stage.

She was seen on advertising posters and in many other harmless girlie mags of the time, such as the ubiquitous Parade. And her appearances in ToCo mags were much more in line with the style of those publications – more publicity stills than accidental-on-purpose flashes of suspenders, stocking tops and knickers that were the hallmark of Spick, Span and Beautiful Britons. Perhaps because she limited her work to such innocent and teasing publications, her family was quite happy with her modelling.

She is alive and well and runs a boarding kennels and cat’s home, and breeds and shows exotic cats.